Tag Archives: snipe

To celebrate the ninety-eighth anniversary of the formation of the Royal Air Force three aircraft from the RAF Museum were positioned in front of the Admiralty Extension (often referred to as the Old Admiralty) on Horse Guards Parade. The Typhoon is a mobile replica usually to be seen at the likes of the Farnborough International Airshow, and the Spitfire LFXVIe‘TB675’(actually RW393) and Sopwith Snipe are exhibits briefly allowed out from the RAF Museum at Hendon. The anniversary event took place on the Friday 1 April, which was also used to promote the build up to the centenary in 2018. The images here depict various stages of the aircraft’s removal the following day.

The blue sky over the historic Great War aerodrome on the Sunday of the weekend event gives little indication of the weather conditions which limited the flying activity at the fly in. None of the World War One reproductions were able to get airborne on the Saturday, and only the Albatros made it aloft on the Sunday – giving Rob Gauld-Galliers his first chance to fly in a World War One Heritage Aviation Trust (WAHT) machine. The increasing number of WWI airframes were displayed outside whilst a couple of yet to be assembled new arrivals were on view in the hangar. A few visiting aircraft also braved the elements, and some – including a smart Stearman in US Navy colours – carried out a pass on departure.